Counterfeit consumer goods, commonly called knock-offs, are counterfeit or imitation products offered for sale. The spread of counterfeit goods has become global in recent years and the range of goods subject to counterfeiting has increased significantly.
Product counterfeiting occurs on artworks, CDs, DVDs, computer software recorded on CDs or diskettes, perfumes, designer clothes, handbags, briefcases, automobile and airplane parts, securities (e.g., stock certificates), identification cards (driver's licenses, passports, visas, green cards), credit cards, smart cards, wine bottles, and pharmaceuticals, amongst other items. According to the World Health Organization, more than 7% of the world's pharmaceuticals are counterfeit. This percentage is higher in some countries, such as Colombia, where up to 40% of all medications are believed to be fake. The recent explosion of Internet drug sales from other countries and increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting techniques have substantially increased the amount of fraudulent drugs entering the United States.
If goods are not genuine, then product counterfeiting has occurred. If goods have been diverted from their intended channel of commerce by, for example, entering into a country where the goods are prohibited by contract or by law, then the goods have been subject to product diversion.
Additionally, almost as long as there have been documents of inherent value there have been attempts to counterfeit those documents. Security measures added to documents to deter counterfeiting have met with varying levels of success. United States currency, for example, have incorporated various security measures over the years. These include, for example, special ink and paper formulations, engraved patterns that interfere with photographic reproduction, “hidden” details within the engraved image, watermarks and strips of imprinted film embedded within the currency paper.
Security laminates are traditionally used to protect documents or packages to ensure that the underlying items are not altered. Security laminates are particularly useful on identification cards such as driver's licenses and passports, and on other important documents such as certificates of title, identification cards, entry passes, ownership certificates, financial instruments, and the like. Security laminates are also useful as protective labels on medications, video cassettes, and compact discs. Four features are particularly important when producing and using security laminates. First, once applied to an article it is important that the laminate is difficult to remove to ensure that the underlying item is not altered or subjected to tampering. Second, an effective laminate is difficult if not impossible to duplicate by counterfeiters. Third, if tampering occurs it is important to quickly and accurately recognize an altered or counterfeit laminate. Fourth, it is important that manufacturing and application costs of the laminates are not prohibitively expensive.
Each time a new security measure is implemented, counterfeiters are usually not far behind in their ability to counter those measure. For example, counterfeiters may employ skilled technicians who are able to closely copy special inks and paper. Counterfeiters may also use sophisticated photographic reproduction equipment and techniques to reproduce the intricate engravings, look of the paper and colors of the currency with great accuracy. Security features for valuable documents that are more sophisticated than those currently used are needed to further deter counterfeiters.
Accordingly, a need exists for a security laminate with improved security features.